


Straightforward

by fallen_woman



Category: Naruto
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-21
Updated: 2008-02-21
Packaged: 2017-10-06 07:29:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallen_woman/pseuds/fallen_woman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tenten isn't like the other Konoha kunoichi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Straightforward

Tenten isn't like the other Konoha kunoichi. She doesn't get much attention, and that suits her fine. Attention isn't the same as glory.

She feels no need to sparkle like Ino or flutter like Sakura or float like Hinata. No need for curves or tangles or guilty oscillation. Tenten thinks in straight lines, and that makes her closer to Neji and Lee than she'd like to admit.

Training leads to experience leads to victory leads to recognition, so if she works hard enough, she'll hit her mark. And she always hits her mark.

There are concessions. She gets up early to pin her hair in perfect buns and wears bright pink and squeals over boys in the street, because there's no point in pretending to be something that you're not, either. Tenten hates pretension.

Then she meets Temari.

The sand nin is all hard body and smirks, every word an iteration of "Come and get it." Tenten takes the invitation and fails, horribly; Temari swats her out of the sky and impales her upon the white fan like a fallen sparrow.

The loss itself was crushing, but what infuriated her was Temari's ease, entirely unlike Lee's hardworn fluency of battle or even Neji's inbred genius. It was -- style, it was careless art, an extension of the woman's boisterous laughter and brilliant, sharp smile.

Tenten prides herself on being different from the other rookie girls. But like Sakura, like Ino, like Hinata...

Her first crush had spiky hair.


End file.
